Dangerous work environment and the company only is fined $28,000 dollars. A human life is only taken remotely seriously by industries that have employees working in dangerous circumstances? Really? I don't think this is acceptable. As a matter of fact, a fine of $28,000 is criminal.
I am sure the supervisor is sickened over the death, but, this isn't satisfactory. There is nothing here to make the company take this man's death seriously. Ohio liability laws might bring a lawsuit, but, OSHA isn't taking human deaths nearly serious enough to deter same in the future.
The fail safe system should be automated and difficult to turn off in order to begin production of the product. After a period of time when the machines aren't producing a product the fail safe system needs to automatically kick in to prevent use again until it is unlocked. This isn't at all acceptable.
February 4, 2015
NILES, Ohio. – A 49-year-old machine operator (click here) was fatally crushed while reaching into an extrusion press to remove unprocessed aluminum parts because his employer, BRT Extrusions Inc., failed to ensure the machine's power was fully off so that it would not turn on during maintenance, a procedure known as lockout/tagout. An investigation into the Aug. 6, 2014, incident by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration resulted in citations for the Niles, Ohio, facility for six serious safety violations for exposing workers to dangerous machinery and other hazards.
"This death was preventable, BRT Extrusion should have properly trained their workers on lockout/tagout and ensured the extrusion press had adequate guarding," said Brigitte Frank, OSHA's acting area director in Cleveland. "Failure to protect employees from dangerous machinery all too often leads to catastrophic injury or death. These violations are among the most frequently cited by OSHA."
The investigation found that the press had been placed in automatic mode by a supervisor while the employees working the press took a lunch break....
...OSHA proposed penalties of $28,000 for the company, which specializes in the manufacture of aluminum extrusion components and employs about 200 workers....
I am sure the supervisor is sickened over the death, but, this isn't satisfactory. There is nothing here to make the company take this man's death seriously. Ohio liability laws might bring a lawsuit, but, OSHA isn't taking human deaths nearly serious enough to deter same in the future.
The fail safe system should be automated and difficult to turn off in order to begin production of the product. After a period of time when the machines aren't producing a product the fail safe system needs to automatically kick in to prevent use again until it is unlocked. This isn't at all acceptable.
February 4, 2015
NILES, Ohio. – A 49-year-old machine operator (click here) was fatally crushed while reaching into an extrusion press to remove unprocessed aluminum parts because his employer, BRT Extrusions Inc., failed to ensure the machine's power was fully off so that it would not turn on during maintenance, a procedure known as lockout/tagout. An investigation into the Aug. 6, 2014, incident by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration resulted in citations for the Niles, Ohio, facility for six serious safety violations for exposing workers to dangerous machinery and other hazards.
"This death was preventable, BRT Extrusion should have properly trained their workers on lockout/tagout and ensured the extrusion press had adequate guarding," said Brigitte Frank, OSHA's acting area director in Cleveland. "Failure to protect employees from dangerous machinery all too often leads to catastrophic injury or death. These violations are among the most frequently cited by OSHA."
The investigation found that the press had been placed in automatic mode by a supervisor while the employees working the press took a lunch break....
...OSHA proposed penalties of $28,000 for the company, which specializes in the manufacture of aluminum extrusion components and employs about 200 workers....
